Frozen Forest, NC

[jamesrobertsmith]

Since it almost never snows around Charlotte anymore, I try to get up to the mountains when I can to see some actual winter weather. My wife and I drove up to Carver's Gap on the TN/NC border so that we could hike around the Roan Highlands. I didn't see any particular trees of note, but I did see a whole lot of actual snow, ice, and rime ice. The forest was transformed. They'd had well over a foot of snow, it was very cold (in the teens while we were there), with powerful gusting winds. It was great to actually experience winter again, if only for the day.


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Rime ice really changes the spruce trees!


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The snow was deepest in Carver's Gap where the wind had not blown any of it away.


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Carole was going to hike with me through the forest in Carver's Gap, but the snow was too deep for her.


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Little rimed tree on the summit of Round Bald.

[edfrank]

James Robert,

Fantastic photos! I am glad to see you post these here. I really like the frost rime. Have a Happy New Year good luck with your job,

Ed

[Will Blozan]

JRS,

Awesome shots! I too, am in search of a winter experience and here in Alaska we are having it. Here are some shots from a heavy snow squall yesterday. The shots came out surrealistic due to the long zoom and density of snow. I am on the hunt for a champion black spruce and have some good leads. If all goes well I should have three Alaska State records before I return in January.

Snowy spruce 1.jpg (155.62 KiB) Viewed 3316 times

Snowy spruce 2.jpg (162.95 KiB) Viewed 3316 times

Will

[jamesrobertsmith]

Thanks, Ed. I was surprised at how thick the rime was on everything. I wasn't quite expecting that, but I suppose the conditions had been perfect. The storm there started out as heavy rain, then the temperature plummeted. The snow we encountered was a very dry powder. We couldn't even make snowballs out of it! On the summit of Round Bald most of the snow had blown off and there was a coating a couple of inches thick of solid ice. I had a hard time keeping my footing on the top of the mountain. Encountered one snowdrift that was about six feet high. I was tempted to jump into it.


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The rime ice was blowing off the trees in this stand of spruce near the summit.

[jamesrobertsmith]

Holy crap, Will! Yeah, they do winter right in Alaska!!! Hope you bag the monster trees and rack up some more champions!

[edfrank]

Will,

You guys look like you got all the good weather, while poor Bob and Monica were stuck going to Hawaii.

Ed

[dbhguru]

JRS

Snooper winter photos. Lots of people elsewhere don't realize how much snow can fall in the southern Apps. I'm still in a tropical mindset, but your images have motivated me to put on the cold weather gear and get some winter photos here in Massachusetts. There's no shortage of snow.

Bob

[pdbrandt]

Stunning pics, James! Thanks for posting. I didn't realize how much snow can fall in the NC mts.

[jamesrobertsmith]

I saw one drift that was about six feet deep. I was sorely tempted to set up my camera on the tripod and take a photo of myself neck-deep in the snow.


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The snow was deeper in Carvers Gap, in the forest where the winds had not scoured it out.